Valley Yarns Arcturus Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Arcturus: Knit Tee with Mosaic Bodice

What Is Being Made

The Arcturus is a striking yet comfortable knit tee designed by Susan Baron. This garment features a flattering silhouette with a two-color corrugated rib hem, a stockinette stitch body, and a distinctive garter stitch mosaic pattern worked above the armhole divide. The design includes a boat neck and cap sleeves, making it versatile enough to wear casually with jeans or dressed up with a skirt or dress pants. Available in sizes XS through 5XL with finished bust measurements ranging from 34" to 66", the tee is designed to fit with 4"–6" positive ease for comfortable wear.

Techniques Used

The Arcturus employs several intermediate knitting techniques that work together to create visual interest and structural integrity. The garment is worked in the round using circular needles for the initial body and hem sections, which creates seamless knitting and allows for efficient stitch management. The design then divides for flat working when the front and back pieces separate at the armholes, with identical front and back panels worked separately in rows. Seaming is used to join the finished pieces together. The two-color construction uses a stranded colorwork technique in the corrugated rib hem, where two colors are carried and worked alternately to create the textured edge. The mosaic pattern above the armhole divide showcases color blocking without the complexity of traditional stranded colorwork, as mosaic patterns typically work one color per row while slipping stitches from previous rows.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch: Forms the main body of the tee, worked in the round initially, providing a smooth, classic fabric with excellent stitch definition that showcases the yarn's qualities.
• Garter Stitch: Used for the mosaic pattern above the armhole divide, creating a textured, dimensional surface that adds visual interest to the bodice.
• Ribbed Stitch: Appears in two applications—the two-color corrugated rib hem at the bottom using alternating colors for structure and stretch, and the boat neck and sleeve bands worked in a single color for a refined finish.
• Mosaic Pattern: A two-color technique worked in garter stitch that creates geometric designs by strategically slipping stitches, allowing for complex colorwork without managing multiple colors in a single row.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Arcturus is designed to showcase Valley Yarns Southwick, a premium yarn blend of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo. This fiber combination produces exceptional drape and a flattering silhouette while offering excellent stitch definition that highlights both the stockinette body and the mosaic pattern details. The main color (MC) requires 7 to 18 balls depending on size, worked in Color 23 - Purple, while the contrasting color (CC) uses 2 to 5 balls in Color 20 - Soft Grape for the corrugated rib hem and mosaic pattern.

The pattern calls for US 6 (4.0 mm) circular needles in 32"–40" length as the primary needle size for working the body and establishing gauge at 20 stitches and 28 rounds over 4" in stockinette stitch on the larger needle when blocked. US 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles in 16" and 24"–32" lengths are used for the ribbed sections, including the initial two-color corrugated rib hem, the boat neck, and the sleeve bands, which require a smaller gauge for proper elasticity and fit. Additional materials include stitch holders for managing stitches during the front and back divide, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and construction points, and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming the finished pieces together.